


Enemy of My Enemy

by RingingSilence



Series: TMA/Star Wars AU [2]
Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Aftermath of Animal Attack, Aftermath of Violence, Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Mild Cruelty, Tim is mentioned but not shown, Violence Mentioned but not Depicted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:08:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28328766
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RingingSilence/pseuds/RingingSilence
Summary: Jon ventures into Coruscant's underworld looking for an old friend.He winds up making a new acquaintance instead.(Pre-main story, rec'd read after Ch. 3)
Relationships: Melanie King & Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist
Series: TMA/Star Wars AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2074572
Kudos: 2





	Enemy of My Enemy

The seedy warehouse stank of cheap booze and stale air, but the dim lights lent Jon a measure of protection from prying eyes so he held his breath and tried not to draw attention. He still had his green library-robe on underneath the rougher cloak Tim had given him with a brow-waggle and a pat on the back, and his uniform’s familiar weight helped him stay calm as he passed drunken gamblers and hardened thieves. Coruscant’s underbelly was known for its cruel and exotic occupants, but surely even there…

When he found the nexu’s cage it was because of the small crowd of jeering vagrants gathered around it. They tossed bits of food and rusted scrap through the bars and it swiped back, rattling the creaking bars with claws like knives. He didn’t need to squint or even get that close to catch glimpses of its dull pelt: spotted, not striped.

Disappointment held him in place far longer than he meant to stay, long enough for the cat’s visitors to grow bored of harassing it and wander towards the louder sounds of the illegal fighting ring next door. Long enough to hear the laughter from around a cage near the back.

“Feisty one, isn’t she? Might even give the kitty a run for its money.”

A fist swung out through the bars, nearly clipping the speaker’s chin. “Why don’t you open this door and see for yourself?”

“Not on your life, girl. You shouldn’t have taken that job.”

“Because you haven’t stolen from risky targets before.”

“Not from a member of the Fairchild clan, I haven’t. Some risks just aren’t worth taking.” The speaker, a human male, tapped the bars. “I wonder how long you’ll last.”

“Fifty credits says she goes down in the first ten seconds,” one of the other visitors said. 

“You kidding? Word is she took out a sentry droid with her bare hands. I give her at least a minute.”

“When I kill that thing, you morons’ll be next,” the cage’s occupant snarled.

“When the cat kills you, I call dibs on whatever’s left of you,” the zabrak replied. “You’ve got a hard head, maybe I’ll hang your skull on my speeder.”

The prisoner’s hand shot out again, knotting itself in the zabrak’s jacket and yanking him against the bars. The others quickly stepped up to help and before Jon could do more than stumble a step closer there was the flash of a knife and she let go. The zabrak wiggled the blade and it glinted crimson. “Bet you wish you had your collection of these right about now.” He pocketed it and straightened his clothes. “Well, we don’t want to lose our seats. I’d say it was a pleasure working with you, but not having to share a cut is going to be better.”

The group took turns spitting into the cage before traipsing off towards the ring. Jon had to step aside to let them pass and caught a glimpse of the zabrak’s face. He recognized him: General Rentoul, formerly of the Grand Army of the Republic until he was dishonorably discharged for selling army weapons and supplies on the black market. The man didn’t pay Jon any mind and soon the only sounds in the warehouse were the rattling of chains and the growling of animals. Jon approached the cage. 

The occupant was a weequay woman. She dabbed at a cut on her arm with the end of a bright red scarf tied around her neck and cursed under her breath. When she finally noticed him she paused to scowl back. “What, you want a go, too?”

He glanced back to check that they were still alone before crouching next to the cage door. “What do you know about nexu?”

“What’s to know? They’re monsters full of fury and teeth.”

“They also have a surprisingly weak rib cage.”

She stared at him. He tried to stare back and settled for looking just past her ear.

“…Are you serious?”

“It’s not easy of course, but if you can land a solid kick to its torso you can incapacitate it without a weapon, maybe even kill it.”

She squinted at him, her dark eyes glimmering. “Why would you tell me? What’s in it for you?”

“Nothing, I just thought you would want to stand a chance.”

She jabbed a finger towards his chest. “I don’t need some topsider’s help! I see that fancy green robe under there. You probably came down here all high and mighty thinking you’d throw a bone to some poor sod and pat yourself on the back for being a hero.”

“That’s not—“ He hastily lowered his voice back down from a shout to a harsh whisper. “That’s not why I came down here!”

“Oh yeah? Did you come for the show, then? Figured you’d have a night of danger and excitement, then scurry back up to your ivory towers feeling like you’re so cool?”

“I was looking for someone,” he snapped and shoved himself to his feet. “They weren’t here, but I saw you and thought I could help. Take my advice or don’t. I don’t care.”

“Good, ‘cause I wasn’t going to!”

He stormed out of the warehouse, intent on catching the first shuttle back to the surface but the further from the cages he got the more his steps slowed. He paused, glancing back towards the light and revelry of the ring. In the pocket of the borrowed cloak, the handful of credits Tim had slipped in for him to ‘have a good time’ weighed heavily. 

Hating himself just a little, Jon turned around and headed into the venue.

~~*~~

It took a while for the nausea to pass, but when the memories of fresh blood and screaming lost enough of their edge and the crowds thinned Jon returned to the warehouse. The ring managers hadn’t bothered to put the nexu back in its cage and Jon spared a moment to look at it. He reached out to pat its dusty shoulder, but even though its dark eyes lay open and still he couldn’t quite bring himself to touch it and he stepped carefully around it. The weequay woman was not so fortunate: she lay sprawled and unmoving behind her locked cage door. With another look to be sure they were alone he got to work picking the low-tech lock. He was so engrossed in avoiding detection that he didn’t notice the weequay moving until she had a handful of his robe in one bloody fist and a broken-off nexu fang held to his face with the other. 

“Ah, w-wait! Wait! It’s me, the one who told you how to fight the nexu!”

She cocked her head while he talked, her eyes hidden behind thick bandages that didn’t manage to cover the weeping ends of the claw marks slashing across her face. “The topsider?”

“Yes, yes that’s me.”

Her lip curled and she let him go. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, now that I’m invested in the outcome of our encounter I thought I would get you out of here.” He returned to his task with shaking hands. “You took my advice.”

She scoffed. “Of course I took your bloody advice. I had a raging ball of teeth on top of me. Didn’t have any other options to go on.”

The lock finally creaked open and the door slid aside. 

She jumped up. “What are you doing?”

“I told you, I’m invested now.”

“Oh no, I don’t need anything else from you!”

“You’re bleeding in a cage in one of lower-Coruscant’s more violent districts. I can think of very few scenarios you’d be in more dire need of assistance.”

“So you spring me, then what? You bring me back topside? Keep me as your little pet? I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I won’t exactly blend in up there.”

“And I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but you’re not exactly in any shape to survive another fi—“

She stumbled up to him, the leg that had been in the nexu’s mouth not long before giving out just as she reached him, but she caught herself on him and nearly shoved the tooth up his nose pointing it at him. “I can fight just fine!”

He swallowed. “Against whatever else they find to throw at you? I was watching the fight. I might not know the full extent of your injuries but I know you can barely stand and your vision was at the very least impacted.”

She stood there, her improvised dagger hovering in front of his face. “The Fairchilds own most of Coruscant’s crime bosses. It’s a big planet, but not big enough to hide forever. I’d rather die on my feet than cornered in some alley.”

“Well, you’re in luck. I happen to have been approved for transfer to a position on Florrum and also have a pilot lined up who doesn’t mind bending rules. I can hardly think of a better place for you to disappear than an Outer Rim world full of pirates.”

She snorted. “What could an Imperial grunt like you want on Florrum?”

“Nothing you’d be interested in. I could write you in as an assistant, get you medical treatment and passage, then part ways as soon as we land.”

“And what would you get out of it?”

“I might ask for assistance acquiring research materials, or advice on dealing with the locals. We can discuss it later.”

She bit her lip. “…Quay, I know I’m going to regret this… Fine, get me off Coruscant and we’ll say I owe you one.”

She resisted as he pulled her arm over his shoulder, but after a step or two she reluctantly let him take some of her weight. He navigated them past the nexu and out onto the street. “Hopefully this will be over before either of us can regret it. I’m Jon.”

She sighed. “…Melanie. Melanie King.”

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to update the main fic tomorrow but once again I'm scrapping a big chunk and starting over so it might be delayed. I hope this entertains instead! Happy Holidays!
> 
> [I sometimes post on tumblr](http://ringingsilent.tumblr.com) if anyone's curious~


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